Chamber of Commerce Spends $19 Million on Lobbying in Q1 (Updated)

The Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. reported it spent almost $19 million on lobbying the federal government during the first quarter of the year.

The Chamber reported spending $18,960,000 in the first three months of the year, an increase from the $16,490,000 spent in the fourth quarter of 2013, when they were the organization that spent the most on lobbying.

The Chamber’s extensive report discloses a broad range of issues and legislation they are concerned about. The report itemizes the general issues, and details the specific lobbying issues and bills on which they lobby. Individual lobbyists are also identified.

Updated pm 4/21: An affiliated entity, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform reported it spent $6,240,000 during the first quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2013 they reported spending $5,810,000.

The first quarter reports are due on April 21st. Other selected filings received include The Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) who reported spending $4,680,000 – an increase from the $4,050,000 they spent n the fourth quarter of 2013.

The Dow Chemical Company reported spending $5,100,000 in the first quarter, a big jump up from the $1,530,000 they spent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The Business Roundtable reported spending $4,230,000 – a small increase from the $4,150,000 they spent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The General Dynamics Corporation reported spending $2,402,073 – a decrease from the $3,265,010 they spent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The Lockheed Martin Corporation reported spending $3,370,000 – a small increase from the $3,350,000 they spent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The worse cheaters currently in our country, are the politicians who have cheated the more than two million unemployed workers out of their extended unemployment benefits since last December. These politicians such as John Boehner, not only have cheated these poor unemployed families of their benefits, but have ruined their credit and financial lives in the process. These people have worked all of their lives, believing that the taxes being taken out of their weekly paychecks, may one day benefit them should they become unfortunately unemployed due to lay offs and downsizing. However after their 26 weeks were finished, they were left hung out to dry by the republican senators. Although billions of tax payer’s dollars recently was approved for the Ukraine, these families have received nothing but delay after delay, and promises after promises. Many of these families have lost their homes, have been evicted from their apartments, have become bankrupt, and homeless, While the politicians continue to play their “party politics” and using these families as bargaining chips and political leverage. It’s sad that the victims of the recession, which largely was the fault of the greedy banking and airline industries, amongst other large corporations, are made to feel that they’re asking for something that they really don’t deserve, such as financial help to support their families until they can find proper work again. Why does it seem that the government can always find the money to bailout companies, and for foreign aid, and personal raises, but not to help the most needy Americans in our country? We’re now going into 5 months of waiting and hoping for help to arrive in the form of an extension bill passing in the senate, and the Republicans are still not wanting to help these families. They have become so out of touch with the reality of the 99 percent of us in this country, that they have no clue of the amount of pain and damage that’s been caused with each passing day, week, and month that the extension isn’t passed for these families. My only solace is that in the next election in 2016, these millions of broken and hurt Americans will use their voting rights to vote all of these career politicians out from office for good. We need to bring back “public servants, not “public masters”

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These hypocritical bastards really get my goat. They fight against unions and organizing for the workers but it is perfectly for them to join together, that is to say they organize and unite, to keep wages low and profits high. Just think about this the next time someone says we don’t need unions anymore. They are needed more than ever. People are just to scared to do anything about it.

Socialism is Organized Evil

Although some question the benefits of inheritance, no argument can be made that the citizens of a free country are worse off because of it.

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Political MoneyLine is about following money in politics. It's a cash register for givers, receivers and those who want to watch the flow.

Kent Cooper has been uncovering and counting political money since 1972, when new disclosure laws took effect. He was assistant staff director for the Federal Election Commission's disclosure office for 22 years.

Tony Raymond was at the FEC for more than 20 years, analyzing reports and serving as the FEC's first webmaster.

They currently produce the Political MoneyLine website on CQ.com and developed its earlier versions: FECInfo, Public Disclosure Inc., and Tray.com.